Vehicle

2004 Lexus IS 300 E-Shift 4dr Sedan (3.0L 6cyl 5A)

Review

My wife and I owned over 20 vehicles in the last 5 years, including IS250 & IS350, but I never wanted to get rid of my IS300. We have put 50K miles on this car over the last 3 years and it is THE MOST reliable car that I have ever owned. I always get 22-26 MPG mixed, 70% city and 30% highway, and the requires the absolute minimum maintenance such as brake pads, rotors and oil change. The timing belt had been just replaced when I bought the car and since then I only needed to replace the rotors, brake pads, spark plugs other than the regular oil change. I always use synthetic oil, premium gas and some fuel additives.

Best Features

Design

Worst Features

I wish that the car had slightly bigger trunk but considering it is a midsize car, similar to E46 BMW or B6 Audi A4, the trunk size should not be a surprise.
The melting dashboard can be an issue in certain cars, do your research and ask the seller if there are any scratches with the dash.

Vehicle

2004 Lexus IS 300 E-Shift 4dr Sedan (3.0L 6cyl 5A)

Review

Surprisingly little room for a luxury car. My wife's 2010 Insight had more room. We bought this hoping that the gas mileage would be better than rated, as I had heard some owners were getting 30mpg highway. We did not find that to be the case. Even without the 'PWR' button on, we were only getting ~22mpg highway on premium. Simply unacceptable for such a small car. Also the dash on these has a chronic melting issue on the passenger side airbag cover. Interior really does not hold up well over time. My car was an 04 but felt more like it was 15-20 years old. Got rid of it in less than 6 months and gladly took a loss on the sale. Maintenance at Lexus dealerships is expensive, take it to Toyota

Best Features

Smooth ride and engine. Transmission shifts like butter as long as it has fresh fluid

Vehicle

2004 Lexus IS 300 4dr Sedan (3.0L 6cyl 5M)

Review

I know this sound generic but "I love my car!" this was my first new car and it is still my daily driver. I currently have 88,090 miles and I am still running on the original front brakes, clutch, belts & shocks! Driving stick really extends the life of your car. Only had to replace 1 bad shock, the battery, rear brakes and everything else is from 2004. About to change the timing belt, water pump, etc. but I'm almost at 90,000 miles so my is 300 has done me proud. You expect quality and reliability from Lexus/Toyota and they delivered. Mine is is so much fun to drive, it's quick around corners and the ride is very smooth. The transmission is the smoothest I have ever driven.

Best Features

I love the smooth 5 speed transmission. The quick response between gears and the reaction time. I can easily down shift and overtake any car when needed.The durability & reliability are also great piece of mind. There are times i get behind the wheel and it's like the first time i drove her home.

Worst Features

Trunk space could be bigger and the rear seat is good for your back pack or a Child, not an adult. The gas mileage is not the best. My Land Rover LR3 is a gas hog and my IS is not far behind. My Mercedes C300 can go 240 miles and use less than half a tank. Rear folding seats would be nice too.

Vehicle

2004 Lexus IS 300 4dr Sedan (3.0L 6cyl 5M)

Review

Bought new in 04, hated it so traded my mom for her Audi, she's got 49K on it now and likes it. The car doesn't have the driver/road connection like my Audi or Saab and doesn't feel expensive like other Lexus cars. Around town speed is good but above 60 mph has no power. Original suspension had so-so handling & comfort. Suspension was replaced 3X by dealer bc it kept squeaking, now has K&N suspension & handles & rides better. Other then that no problems, not even brakes. Interior materials & design are cheap. MPG is pathetic. Auto trans is overeager to upshift into 2nd gear which dulls acceleration unless you stay heavy on the throttle- which eats more gas. Manual mode is worthless.

Vehicle

2004 Lexus IS 300 4dr Sedan (3.0L 6cyl 5M)

Review

Drove BMW 3 series, G35, Volvo S60 and IS 300 just to be complete. Expected to buy the G35 but after driving the Lexus, I just loved driving it. It was by far the most engaging, quietest, and tightest ride. The G35 was faster in a straight line but I felt "one-with-the-car" driving the IS 300. Feels much faster than it really is. And it is not slow. Beautiful styling in and out and great build quality. Was also sold on the reliability record. Consumer Reports listed it as one of the top 3 most reliable cars for 2004. I hope that holds true with mine.